U.S., March 22 -- A recent study highlighted in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has highlighted the relationship between prenatal infections and biology known to be significant in the development of psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research points at a particular pathway that is likely to be key in driving downstream early abnormal brain development.
A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, University of Cyprus and Stanford University mapped the complex biological cascade caused by maternal immune activation (MIA). The study showed that the expression of multiple genes that play a role in autism are turned up or down by MIA. This affects key aspects of prenatal brain development that may elevate the odds for atypical development down the line.
The lead author of the study explains that MIA exerts an influence that overlaps with key processes known to be significant in how the brain in autism develops. The expert says that the findings add to the growing evidence that prenatal development is a vital window for understanding key biology of relevance to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.